316 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 30, 1391. 
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one shift, and have tliemi ready for transplanting in spring. Ordinary 
town garden soil should not be used if good yellow loam in a raised bed 
can be procured. Seed sown now and the seedlings transplanted in the 
open air in the autumn will give splendid plants for next year’s flower¬ 
ing. More than twenty years’ experience enables me, therefore, to 
endorse the views of your correspondent, The easiest method of 
forming a stock of plants to supply a large quantity of bloom is by 
raising seedlings.’’—'Wh J. Murphy, Cloiimrl, 
- Pae.sley during the Winter. —I, like some others, have 
found that Parsley will succeed better during the winter on dry sunny 
banks where such a thing as cultivation—such as deeply digging and 
enriching the soil with manure—has never been thought of. Six years 
ago, being desirous to dispose of some rough soil—the excavation for a 
pond, which was mainly composed of almost clay with flint stones—I 
had it wheeled into a long ridge-shaped heap running east and west. 
On the top of the bank, which was 4 feet high, I planted Spruce Firs, 
feet high, for shelter to a piece of newly enclosed ground. The soil 
composing the bank facing the south in a couple of years’ t’me was by 
the action of frost, rain, and sun reduced to a fair working state on the 
surface, although it was never dug. It struck me that this spot would 
be just the place to grow Parsley ; consequently in March four years ago 
seed was sown in drills, very shallow, and being .showery at the time 
the young plants grew well; the results were so good that more p’ants 
were placed on the bank the following season. This time they were 
put out with a trowel from the seed box, and the weather being showery 
the roots commenced making progress at once. From then until now 
we have never been short of Parsley from that bank, and it is possible 
to find a little after the recent severe wintry weather without any pro¬ 
tection whatever, except what the snow provided. With the exception 
of keeping the Parsley free from weeds nothing has been done to the 
.soil; it has never been dug, nor has it ever received one scrap of manure. 
Even during the extremely dry weather of the Jubilee year the Parsley 
grew luxuriantly, showing what a hold the roots of Parsley can take 
when growing in a close heavy soil.—S. 
- Gravelling Paths. —The present is a good time to lay 
gravel, either on new paths or old, breaking up the surface 'of the latter 
•and turning it under to bury moss. Laying down gravel in the spring 
is much better than doing the work in the autumn for two reasons. 
First, the gravel binds better when dry weather follows, as it usually 
does in spring, whereas autumn and winter rains prevent its binding. 
Secondly, the continual falling of leaves in the autumn necessitates 
constant sweeping, which is both tedious and undesirable on newly 
gravelled paths. In laying gravel on new paths the stones, or whatever 
material is employed for the foundation, must first be well rolled. This 
effects a great saving in gravel, and enables it to be spread more evenly. 
The foundation may be of the same shape as the finished surface is 
intended to be, or the gravel cannot be of the same thickness all over. 
For ordinary garden paths it should not be less than 2 inches thick 
when spre.ad loosely, to be compressed into about 1 inch by rolling to 
make a firm and lasting path. It is best to apply the desired thicknees 
at once, raking the surface level. After drawing a roller over the gravel 
to press it down, make it thoroughly wet by pouring water on the 
moving roller through the rose of a water-pot till a smooth surface is 
obtained. The rolling ought to be continued until the gravel will 
.ab.sorb no more water, but stands on the surface, then cease. The path 
must not be walked upon for a few days to allow the gravel time to 
“set,” then use the roller again till the surface is quite smooth and 
firm. Gravel paths cannot have too much rolling, provided it is done 
judiciously.—.S. 
- Conference of Fruit Growers.— In New South Wales a 
London paper announces that the Conference of Fruit Growers con¬ 
vened by the Hon. Sydney Smith, Minister for Mines and Agriculture, 
was held at the Loyal Society’s Rooms, Sydney. The Minister pre¬ 
sided, and about forty delegates were present, representing the principal 
fruit-growing districts. Each delegate contributed specimens to what 
was really an excellent exhibition of native grown fruit. The 
President, in his inaugural address, referred to the great success of 
fruit growing in California. Speaking of the new Agricultural College, 
Ham Common, he said it was proposed to set apart 50 acres of land 
entirely for experimental purposes in regard to orchard work. It 
was intended to plant about ten fruit trees of every kind worth culti¬ 
vating, in order that their value might be tried and proved. An orchard 
expert would be engaged to take charge of this orchari.1, under whom 
experiments might be properly and profitably conducted, and who 
would impart his knowledge to the students at the college. He (the 
President) said he hoped to exhibit the value of irrigation within a 
few miles of Sydney, and in view of a population equal to nearly a 
quarter of the inhabitants of the colony. They would be pleased to 
hear that he had prepared a comprehensive Bill dealing with insect 
pests, and providing for the inspection of all fruit and fruit trees 
coming from foreign countries, and he hoped to introduce the measure 
into Parliament at an early date. There could scarcely be any doubt 
that the great market for the fruit of the colony would be England. 
It would be necessary, therefore, to consider what would be the most 
suitable kind of fruit for that market, and the best mode of packing 
to insure delivery in good condition. At the close of the last day of 
the Conference the Minister invited the delegates to a harbour pic-nic. 
- The second spring Show of the season at the Roy'AL 
Aquarium, Westminster, was opened yesterday and continues to-day, 
a satisfactory display of plants being provided in the body of the build¬ 
ing. Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, have handsome groups of 
miscellaneous plants and Clivias ; Messrs. Barr & Son, Covent Garden, 
have an extensive collection of the best Daffodils ; and Messrs. Paul and 
Son, Cheshunt, contribute an imposing group of Roses and other 
plants. Auriculas are well represented, Messrs. J. Douglas, Henwood, 
and C. Turner securing the chief prizes. Spiraeas are shown by several 
trade and amateur cultivators. Mr. Adams of Roseneath, Enfield, shows 
well in the Daffodil classes ; Messrs. Cutbush & Son, Highgate, also 
exhibit in th’s section of the Show. 
- The Sultan of Turkey’s Chief Gardener in Former 
Days. —One of the most influential officers of the Court was the bostanji 
bashi, or chief gardener. This functionary was Governor of the Seraglio 
(the palace generally, not the hareem alone, which the term Seraglio 
is commonly believed to imply), and overseer of all the Sultan’s gardens 
and summer palaces. The shores of the Bosphorus and Sea of Marmora 
from the entrance to the Black Sea as far as the Dardanelles were all 
under his inspection, and no one m'ght erect or even repair any kind of 
building on the land subject to his jurisdiction without his permission, 
which had to be paid for. He was Ranger of the forests in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of Constaiatinople, and had charge of the Royal Hunt and 
Fisheries, Among his duties was the steering of the imperial barge 
whenever the Sultan went on the waters, over which he exercised 
control, an office which afforded him many opportunities of confidential 
communication. He had, moreover, to preside at the execution of 
great men, when that took place within the Seraglio precincts, and to 
superintend the prison where suspected officials were put to the torture. 
The bostanjis, or gardeners, who numbered about 2500 men, nominally 
formed part of the army corps of the Janissaries. They were the real 
guards of the Seraglio, and to members of their body was entrusted the 
protection of the various Imperial parks and pleasure grounds. They 
also acted as gardeners, whence their name. One of their duties was to 
row the imperial barge when the Sultan was on board,—(From Stanley 
Lane Poole's “ Turliey," in Story of the Nation's Series.) 
- In a recent report by Lord Vaux of Harrowden, Secretary to 
the Bri ith Legation at Stuttgart, on Agriculture in Wurtemberg, 
reference is made to Agricultural Education in that State. This 
is cared for by numerous schools and societies, and appears to be fully 
appreciated by the peasants and others. Almost every institution of 
this sort had greater demand made upon it in 1889 (the year to which 
the report specially refers) than in the previous year. The agricultural 
and gardening school had its normal number of students ; the school of 
vineyards, in consequence of increasing demands for tuition in this 
branch, was again forced to exceed its statutory number of pupils ; the 
agricultural winter school was attended by 103 scholars, being an in¬ 
crease of six on the previous year. A sixth school was added to the five 
already in existence for teaching country girls and young women farm¬ 
house and dairy work. The travelling teachers of husbandry, as well as 
those specially devoted to orchards and vineyards, were in great request 
among local societies, and by the communal authorities. Sixty-four 
students attended the lectures upon orchard cultivation ; ninety-two 
faniers were taught at the various veterinary colleges and schools 
throughout the country. The winter evening agricultural schools, 
reading clubs, and local libraries all showed a considerable increase both 
in numbers and in attendance. Altogether some 23,400 persons attended 
agricultural schools or lectures on husbandry during the year. This is 
rather more than 1 per cent, of the total population of the country, and 
is good evidence that the people as a rule do not neglect the oppor¬ 
tunities given them of becoming successful agriculturists,— (^Nature.) 
